The present invention relates to a receptacle for a circuit chip having a plurality of exposed connection pads spaced from one another, and more particularly to a receptacle adapted to connect such connection pads to contact members adapted for the making of an external connection thereto.
Typically circuit chips (such as integrated circuit and semiconductor chips) have a plurality of exposed connection pads spaced from one another, the connection pads being disposed on one face of the chip, frequently in two laterally extending parallel series, each series being on an opposite side of the chip face. In order to physically support the chip and facilitate the making of electrical connections between the connection pads thereof and an external circuit, the chip is customarily mounted on a receptacle. A typical receptacle includes a plurality of contact members in very close spatial disposition, one end of each contact member being adapted to abut against a respective connection pad when the chip is in place on one face of the receptacle and the other end of each contact member extending from the opposed face of the receptacle for connection to an external circuit, for example, a printed circuit board.
The known receptacles are not entirely satisfactory for a number of reasons. In the first place, once the contact members have been connected to the external circuit, for example, by soldering the ends thereof to a printed circuit board, failure of a single contact member has necessitated the disconnection of each and every contact member from the external circuit, and then, after replacement of the defective contact member, re-soldering of all the contact members once again to the printed circuit board. Other disadvantages of the known receptacles are their failure to provide adequate insulative compartmentalization of each contact member to preclude the formation of short circuits therebetween, the inability of the receptacles to provide a large number of closely spaced contact members within a given limited area to meet the requirements of a chip having closely spaced connection pads (except by resort to very narrow contact members which introduce problems of their own), the need to use contact members of different configurations and dimensions in a single receptacle (thereby increasing the cost of manufacturing and the complexity of assembling the device), etc.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provde a receptacle in which a defective contact member can be replaced without disturbing the connections of the other contact members to the external circuit.
It is another object to provide such a receptacle in which the contact members may be very closely spaced, and yet sufficiently compartmentalized to preclude the formation of short circuits therebetween.
It is still another object to provide such a receptacle in which all of the contact members are of identical configuration and dimensions.
It is a further object to provide such a receptacle which is relatively inexpensive and easy to manufacture and assemble, yet compact, sturdy and durable in use.